Local Marine Stars In 'Battleground Afghanistan'

PITTSBURGH (NewsRadio 1020 KDKA) -  You've seen a lot of shows and movies about war, but this one really takes you in to battle. "Battleground Afghanistan" follows a group of Marines who are dropped into Afghanistan with the task of taking out Taliban members in the drug trade. Dangerous, gritty, and life-threatening, the story is told by the men in the field as they're followed into battle with a camera crew in tow.

One of those members of Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, is Hopewell native Corporal Brandon Unis. He says this is a very realistic portrayal of modern warfare.

"They never gave us a script or anything out there," says Cpl. Unis. "We were just doing our job and they had cameras on us. Sometimes they'd ask us to do interviews, but they never told us what to say. It's an honest portrait of  modern warfare from the viewpoint of the frontline fighter."

KDKA-AM's Larry and John talk to Cpl. Unis about the new series, and what makes this a different presentation of war. Cpl. Unis says it's because the crew followed the Marines into combat, and mixed battle footage with interviews. Everything was unscripted or planned.

Cpl. Unis joined the Marines at age 18 to take advantage of college grants, but also because of 9-11. He says the terrorist attacks changed his life and weighed heavy on him.

"I realized for the first time that there were people out there that wanted to hurt my friends and family. I wanted to do something to go out there and help fight these guys."

So far, fame from the show hasn't gone to Cpl. Unis' head. He says it's more about making a difference.

"I hope it opens people's eyes to what's going on out there. For me, no one even recognizes me, so it doesn't change my life."

"Battleground Afghanistan" airs Monday at 9 p.m. on National Geographic Channel.